M-trifluoromethylphenyl acetonitrile is a compound which is used as a starting material for the preparation of a plurality of drugs and herbicides. It was previously prepared, for example, by reacting m-trifluoromethyl benzene with chloromethyl ether in the presence of chlorosulfonic acid and treating the reaction product further with sodium cyanide (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,265). When this method is used, the desired compound could only be obtained in a yield of 31%, relative to the benzene trifluoride. Furthermore, the process had the following additional disadvantages:
The cost of preparation is considerable (two-stage process), particularly in the case of first stage in which the chloromethylation of benzotrifluoride (deactivated aromate), involves substantial problems. For example, the handling of the charges chlorosulfonic acid and chloromethyl ether, especially during the aqueous work-up of the raw product, entails considerable problems since further purification steps are necessary in order to remove the carcinogenic chloromethyl ether (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,984). The question of waste removal is also critically evaluated. In particular, the formation of by-products limits the yield, e.g. various chloromethylated products or the formation of condensation products such as bis-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl) methane.
It is also known that m-trifluoromethylphenyl acetonitrile can be prepared by first subjecting trifluoromethyl benzene to a chloromethylation and then reacting it according to the Kolbe nitrile synthesis with sodium cyanide (See Published German Patent specification DE-OS No. 21 50 399). However, this method has the following disadvantages:
Since a two-stage method is involved, the cost of preparation is also very high here. For example, the first stage in particular, involves the chloromethylation of benzotrifluoride (deactivated aromate), which entails considerable problems. If chlorosulfuric acid is brought into p-formaldehyde (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,051), a viscous, adhesive mass results initially which can be stirred only with difficulty and which causes considerable technical problems. In addition to the work-up, the formation of by-products is especially critical since up to 30% bis-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl) methane is formed according to this method. This results in a distinct reduction of the yield.
It is known from published German Patent Specification DE-PS No. 28 54 210 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,322) that aromatically or heteroaromatically substituted acetonitriles can be obtained by reacting methyl-substituted aromates or heteroaromates with cyanogen chloride in the gas phase at temperatures approximately between 550.degree. and 850.degree. C.; however, this method has never been applied in the past to m-trifluoromethyl toluene because fragmentations, especially the splitting off of .CF.sub.3 and .CH.sub.3 and exchange reactions, fluorine for chlorine/cyanide, were feared. A possible HF formation would have destroyed the reactor and the work-up part as a consequence.